Alex de Minaur admits he liked going off the grid for a couple of hours during a massive power outage that occurred across Spain and Portugal on Monday.
Play was suspended at the Madrid Open yesterday due to the blackout which affected public transport, hospitals and sparked the mayor of Madrid to advise members of the public not to travel. An investigation into what caused the power cut is ongoing but Eduardo Prieto from power company REE has told reporters that there were two “disconnection events” in Southern Spain before the blackout started.
Amid the unusual situation, world No.7 De Minaur said he spent time walking around Madrid and enjoyed ‘disconnecting’ from the internet.
“There wasn’t much we could do, practically your whole life is surrounded by technology,” he said.
“For example, we had no mobile phone coverage, we spent the whole day taking walks with the team, playing cards, we went to the only open Mercadona to grab something to eat, but there was no bread left.
“If there is something I liked about yesterday, it was that, disconnecting a bit from the internet and going outside for a walk, seeing the people of Madrid with their friends and experiencing the moment more.
“Lately, we are too hooked on technology, so it was nice to see how yesterday people were going to the park or playing soccer. I’ve even seen videos of people dancing. It was a tough day, but all the Spanish people took it very well.”
De Minaur resumed his campaign at the Madrid Open on Tuesday with a 6-3, 7-6(3), win over Denis Shapovalov. He has won 24 matches so far this season which is the joint-highest among players on the ATP Tour. The only other player to have reached this tally is Carlos Alcaraz. It is the fifth consecutive Masters 1000 event where the Australian has made it through to at least the fourth round.
“I know Denis well, we have played several times already, not only on the professional circuit, but also in the junior stage,” said De Minaur, who leads Shapovalov 5-0 in their ATP head-to-head.
“I know he has a lot of power from both sides, even though he has a one-handed backhand, to me that might even be the stroke I feared the most. Much respect for that stroke. Tactically, it was a match where I tried to be as solid as possible and not let him take the initiative, something he loves.”
Awaiting de Minaur in the next round will be either Stefanos Tsitsipas or Lorenzo Musetti. He is bidding to become only the second Australian player to reach a singles final at the Madrid Open and the first male to do so. The first Aussie player to do so was Ash Barty in 2021.
